The Papers, Please short film teaser is here

YouTube

Papers, Please is a sort of point-and-click puzzle game in which you play an immigration inspector for the faux-nation of Arstotzka, a run-down communist joint that's just come out of a war with its neighbor. Your job is to inspect the papers of people who want to enter the country and decide who gets in and who's kept out, being mindful of terrorists, smugglers, spies, mimes, and so on.

It sounds like a fairly straightforward time management game but as we said in our 2013 review, it's actually much more impactful than that. "The mental-emotional tug-of-war the game manages to stimulate through paperwork is impressive, but a lot is owed to its perfect pacing," Evan wrote about it. "Above all Papers, Please is a $10 ticket to emotional manipulation, left brain stimulation, and elegantly-paced virtual paperwork wrapped in clever storytelling."

It was also enough of a hit that earlier this year, creator Lucas Pope announced that a short film adaptation by Nikita and Liliya Ordynskiy was in the works. Pope shared some production stills from the set in the announcement, and today the creators released the "Final Trailer," showcasing what promises to be a relatively grim film-going experience.

Neither the YouTube listing nor the Facebook page reveal much about the film, beyond the fact that it exists: It's written and directed by the Ordynskiys, directed by Nikita Orkynskiy, produced by Liliya Tkach, and stars Igor Savochkin. IMDB says it's currently in post-production, but there's no indication as to when it will be out or where it will be available. It looks like it'll be worth checking out, though (as long as you're not in the mood for something to brighten up your day, anyway), so we'll let you know when more info emerges.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.